New Year's Day 2017 is set to be the most badass ever – and why's that, you may ask? Well that's the day the long-awaited Assassin's Creedmovie starring Michael Fassbender takes a massive leap of faith and lands on Cineworld screens.

With the new trailer having just arrived we've unearthed some of the secrets that are poised to make this an unmissable blockbuster, and possibly the finest game-to-screen adaptation so far...

1. Birthday party

The brilliantly versatile Michael Fassbender appears to be going full Christian Bale with his performance as growly badass Callum Lynch. We first see him being visited in his cell, to which he asks: "Are you here to save my soul?" Immediately that gets us intrigued – what kind of spiritual crisis is Callum facing? – but more interesting is his sign-off line: "The party's just getting started." Whatever's about to happen, we're very glad to be invited to said party.

2. Jeremy Irons!

Disappointed by the distinct lack of Oscar-winning Brit legend Jeremy in Batman v Superman? Fear not, he's on hand here to deliver weighty and attention-grabbing exposition as Alan Rikkin, filling us in on Callum's backstory and informing us that his bloodline stretches back 500 years. That makes him very useful for Marion Cotillard's vaguely Machiavellian figure Dr. Sophia Rikkin who calmly informs Lynch: "You no longer exist." Frankly we're overjoyed that the two Macbeth stars are once again sharing the screen – fingers crossed they'll bring the fireworks again.

3. Welcome to the Animus

A virtual reality simulation, the Animus is designed to tap into Lynch's genetic memories and thus access his past. Think Avatar but, you know, cooler. Whilst fans of the game start to hyperventilate in excitement, we're starting to ask questions of Sophia, and whether she's a force for good or bad. The sleek, revolutionary technology teased in the trailer makes for a nice contrast with the sun-bleached historical landscapes arriving imminently.

4. Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!

Well, apart from all you lot analysing the trailer, obviously. This is where Macbeth director Justin Kurzel lets loose with his bag of visual tricks, Lynch's ancient ancestor leaping from roof to roof that suggests parkour in fact got here centuries ago. It remains to be seen how exactly the past and the present will interact in the movie; when Lynch observes, "What I felt in there, felt real," Sophia replies, "It was." Past and present are colliding in vibrant and exciting ways, and we can't wait to see the end result in the movie.

5. A change of destiny

Will the troubled and violent Lynch be redeemed via the Animus programme? Will tapping into his ancestor's memories unlock a sense of noble heroism within? He's definitely under a lot of pressure, Michael Kenneth Williams' Moussa observing: "They're watching you... Waiting to see who you are." Already we're getting a vivid sense that journeying back into the past has a significant bearing on Lynch in the present, confirmed by Alan Rikkin's line: "I believe you're destined for great things." Cue Fassy wielding a bow and arrow, which is all kinds of awesome.

6. Leap of faith

The most famous image from the game series comes when the player takes a breath and launches their character from the highest possible point, sending them soaring towards the ground. It's an adrenaline-fuelled rush that the movie looks set to replicate, as we can see from this final money shot that really does take the breath away. Let's just hope the character manages to land on that all-important bale of hay...